A new KFC is to be built in Hartland Township this year. Township Planning Director David Campbell hinted that the new build could be a sign of more things to come for vacant land on the north side of M-59, east of Clark Road.

The KFC will be just west of Hartland Pointe Plaza, where Biggby Coffee, Snap Fitness and other businesses are already located.

Permits from the county and the state are still needed. However, the project has already gained approvals from the township.

The new drive-through, which will also have indoor and outdoor seating, will be accessible from a right-turn lane on M-59. Since that span of the road is a boulevard — there is a median in the middle — cars will have to be headed westbound in order to pull into the KFC. There is already a right-turn lane at Hartland Plaza. The plan is to extend it for the KFC.

Campbell anticipates that the right-turn lane will eventually extend all the way to the corner of Clark Road. Land to the east of the KFC site is vacant and ready for future commercial development.

Creating internal connections and shared drives for traffic access between businesses is a goal for that whole block, Campbell indicated.

“The KFC will have an internal driveway connection to vacant property to the west. So, when all that gets built out, people won’t have to get back on M-59 and then pull back in (to get to neighboring businesses). The idea is that someone could pull in for a bucket of chicken and then go to the other (future) businesses, ” Campbell said.

“We want to minimize the number of driveways sending cars on and off M-59,” he said.

The Hartland Township Planning Commission approved a site plan March 12. Lucky Dining Inc., which is owned by Glen Flewelling, is developing the land. The township Board of Trustees had previously approved a special land-use permit, which was needed for the drive-through restaurant to operate on land that is zoned general commercial. Permits from the county and the state for water and sewer hook ups are still needed.

The developer wants to break ground in the next 90 days. Campbell indicated that it does not take much time for a KFC to go up — perhaps within another couple months after that.

Contact Livingston Daily county and townships reporter Jennifer Eberbach at 517-548-7148 or at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTheWriter.